


Manic Love: Sindria Arc

by SkyPhoenix13125



Series: Magi: Manic Love Series [1]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Choose Your Own Ending, F/M, Love Potion/Spell, Magic, Original Character(s), Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26075098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyPhoenix13125/pseuds/SkyPhoenix13125
Summary: This is the Sindria arc of the Magi Manic Love Series!The day after your homecoming, Yamraiha accidentally gives a love potion to someone else around the castle. You choose who it is!Feel free to check out the Kou, Mognostadt, and Reim arcs as well!All of these were originally posted on Deviantart, they are my original work.
Relationships: Alibaba Saluja/Reader, Jafar/Sinbad (Magi), Masrur (Magi)/Reader, Ren Hakuryuu/Reader, Sharrkan (Magi)/Reader, Sinbad (Magi)/Reader, Spartos Leoxses/Reader
Series: Magi: Manic Love Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892995
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	1. Intro

“(Y/N)! Wake up!”

You sprang up to see Yamraiha shutting your door firmly. You stared at the blue haired magician in confusion.

“Yam? What are you doing?” you asked. Warm sunlight had just started streaming through your window. It was still a bit early for visitors.

You were a trusted friend and ally of King Sinbad. You had been living in his palace and working as an adviser to him and his eight generals for some years now. Usually, you went in Sinbad's place to negotiate or study in lands that were too far for him to visit. For the “conqueror of the Seven Seas”, he often found it hard to leave his palace unless it was an absolute emergency.

“I need your help,” she replied. You sighed slightly, standing up to get dressed.

You had only been back a few days from your latest mission. Last night there had been a large festival to celebrate your homecoming. You had hoped that you'd get a little more rest before having to deal with some kind of emergency.

You pushed past her into your wardrobe, selecting a long (f/c) skirt and a white top with gold trim gently draping your shoulders. You discarded your sleep garments before turning back to her.

“What happened?”

She hesitated for several seconds. “I....made a love potion.”

“You...what? You can do that?”

“No! I mean...yes, but love magic is incredibly dangerous. It wasn't even supposed to be a love potion, the pages of my spellbook got stuck together--”

“Yam, hey,” you said, pulling her back to focus. “Breathe. What do you need me to do?”

She put her hand on her forehead and sighed. “Love magic is complex. If it's not done properly, it can cause the person who is affected to act manic. Obsessive sometimes. I need you to keep them occupied so no one notices it until I can fix this.”

“All right.” Yam was your best friend within the palace. She knew you'd do your best to help her.

“There's one more thing,” she said. “This manic behavior might be....directed at you.”

You frowned. “Why?”

“Love magic, like I said before, is really complex. But most of it has to do with who you are thinking of at the time of taking the potion. And with your homecoming, and being the center of attention at the festival last night--”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” You crossed your arms. “So who did you give it to?”

“Well....”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you take a look at the next several chapters you'll notice that there are characters featured but not options in the story. These were done by design, so here's why they were not included here if you were wondering:
> 
> a) Aladdin - is in another arc  
> b) Morgiana - I hadn't seen enough of her personality by this point to find a trait to link her with. Most of the others fell into place when I thought about them hard enough, but to this day I'm still unsure of what hers could be.  
> c) Yamraiha - would never drink her own botched potion. I thought of making her an option in another arc but it never worked out  
> d) Pisti - I know she's not as young as she looks but writing any kind of romantic relationship with her made me uncomfortable. And again, I didn't know enough of her personality at this time to really visualize it anyway.  
> e) Hinahoho - we support a man who had a beautiful, loving relationship with his wife. He was not getting dragged into this story. Again, it'd make me uncomfortable.  
> f) Drakon - once again, is happily married so not messing with that. And the Sinbad prequel gave me very little information about his personality.


	2. Sinbad - Possession

“Yam, come on. You have to tell me if you want my help.”

“King Sinbad!” she blurted out.

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Great. As if he wasn't a big enough flirt already.”

“It could be worse. He gave you that gorgeous pendant last night. Maybe it won't affect him too much.”

You glanced down at the necklace Sinbad had presented you with at the celebration. It was a long chain of small, intertwined carvings and a beautiful purple gemstone.

“For being such a help to me and my country,” he'd said. You'd be lying if you said you hadn't blushed when he gave it to you. But Sinbad wasn't interested in you. Not genuinely. He saw women in the same way he saw adventures: they were fun for a while, but there were always others out there.

You were interrupted by your thoughts by a knock at your door. “(Y/N)? Are you up?”

Sinbad.

“Yes, my lord. One moment.” You opened the door to see the purple haired man smiling at you.

“Good morning. I thought you might like to help me with something today.”

“Oh. What's that?”

“I've decided to finally clean out my treasure room. About time for it, don't you think?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Anyway, it would be far less boring with some company.”

“Of course. I'd be happy to help. Just...give me a minute to talk to Yamraiha.”

“No problem. I'll be there when you're ready.”

You shut the door and turned back to your friend. “He's cleaning out the treasure room? Does that count as manic behavior?”

“I don't know, but if you find anything with a sapphire, can you snag it for me?”

You laughed. “I'm sure Ja'far keeps a detailed inventory of everything that's in there.”

“Please,” she pouted, “he never checks it. By the time he noticed, it'd be too late.”

“I'll keep an eye out,” you told her as you started for the door.

Sinbad opened the large door to this room and followed you inside. The massive room had high, domed ceilings and was covered with dark, wooden boxes of various sizes. Chests and jewelry boxes were littered among swords, vases, lamps, and other various decorative pieces.

“How long has it been since you cleaned this, Sinbad?”

“Uhh....never?” he said after a moment. “I usually only come in here to replace old weapons.” He nodded towards a row of identical swords that all seemed similar to the one he kept on himself. “And this is only one of the rooms, there are several more all over the palace.”

“I guess we'd better get to work then.” You made a beeline for the decorative pieces. You trusted Sinbad to work on the weapons since he had more experience with them. But you didn't see him working through the chests and jewelry boxes instead.

“(Y/N), what do you think of this?” he asked after a few minutes. You glanced over to see him holding up a gold bracelet with a green stone.

“It's beautiful, my lord.”

“I agree, and I think it'd look very nice on you.”

You frowned slightly. “You already gave me a pendant last night, my lord. I think that's more than enough.”

“Nonsense, here.” Before you could stop him, he'd already placed the bracelet around your wrist. “Beautiful, just like I thought. And these earrings match perfectly!”

He handed you a pair of small golden earrings. “They were my mother's.”

“Sinbad, no. I could never--”

“They match the bracelet,” he said simply. “You wouldn't want to break up the set, would you?” You stared helplessly at him, unsure of what to do.

“And what do you think of this rug? It might look nice in your room.”

You stormed into your friend's workspace. “Yamraiha! You have to do something!”

“(Y/N)? I almost didn't recognize you. You look--”

“Like Sinbad!” You replied, throwing your arms up. “Look at me, I'm wearing so much jewelry I shouldn't be allowed to move.”

As the blue-haired magician stared at you, she had to admit you had a point.

You were wearing half a dozen different necklaces and pendants of varying sizes. Four or five different bracelets and bangles, and a set of anklets. You even had a ring on each finger, and she could make out some small earrings covering your ears.

“What on earth happened?”

“Sinbad's gone insane. He just keeps giving me things. Jewelry. Furniture. Decorations. Family heirlooms. He even tried to give me one of his metal vessels! Please tell me you found an antidote.”

“Not exactly.” She handed you her spell book. “It would seem the only solution in this case is to negate his manic behavior.”

“Yam, no. If he keeps going like this, he could end up handing over Sindria to me. I can't make him stop, he's Sinbad. Please--”

“Oh, there you are, (Y/N)!” Sinbad called as he walked into the room, Masrur trailing slightly behind him. “I found something else I would like you to have.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “And what's that?”

“Masrur.” You and Yamraiha stared at him in horror. Masrur merely raised an eyebrow at his lord, seemingly unaffected by this announcement.

“I see. Masrur, could you excuse us?” The large redhead nodded. Once he was gone, you turned back to Sinbad. “You can't give me Masrur.”

“Why not? He'll be a perfectly loyal bodyguard for you. I think it's a splendid idea.”

“But that's slavery!” you exclaimed. “Masrur is not the same as all the other things you've given me already. He's a person with feelings and you can't make him do whatever you want!”

Sinbad crossed his arms. “I'm not sure I understand. You don't...want Masrur?”

“Whether I want him or not is irrelevant, Sinbad. You do not have the authority to give me another person like he is some good to be bought or sold.”

“I have the authority to do what I like,” Sinbad said lowly. “I'm the king.”

“No. You are a love-sick fool and you know it. You would never give away one of your closest friends like a simple commodity. Now stop it before I make you.”

Sinbad stumbled back as though you had struck him.

He winced, grasping his forehead. “This....isn't right,” he said meekly.

Slowly, his head rose to look at you again. “I...I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. Please, forgive me.”

You nodded at him. “On one condition.”

“That looks like everything,” Ja'far said as you placed the rolled up rug back in the treasure room. He continued checking his inventory list, nodding to himself as he re-checked everything you had returned.

Sinbad glanced at all of the things strewn around. After poor Yamraiha had explained the situation to him, he was fairly understanding about what had happened.

He caught a glimmer of purple. “(Y/N), wait,” he said. “You left something.”

Sinbad gently placed the pendant in your hand. “I truly meant to give you this one.”

“Are you sure?” you asked.

“Of course.” He smiled softly. “You deserve it for putting up with me.”

You smiled back, fastening the necklace back around your neck. “Thank you, Sinbad. I'll treasure it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a few things to attend to.”

Once he was sure you were gone, Ja'far looked over at his king. “And what's this I hear about you trying to give Masrur away?”

“Ja'far--”

“Because if you were going to give anyone away, it really should have been me. I'm more of a well-rounded help. Not just some big bodyguard.”

“Ja'far please,” Sinbad sighed. “If I ever go crazy enough to try to give away someone away again, I'll make sure it's you. Now honestly, I've made myself enough of an ass today.”

Ja'far smiled slightly. “It could have been worse. You could have proposed.” Sinbad thought for several seconds.

“Probably best it didn't get to that point. With a woman like that by my side, I'd never get away with anything.”

“It could be a good change for you, Sin.”

Sinbad smirked. “Why do you think I send her away so much? She's going to be the death of my bachelor days if she sticks around for too long at a time.”

“We can only hope,” Ja'far mumbled.


	3. Masrur - Protection

“Masrur,” she admitted quietly. “It was supposed to keep him more limber.”

“Please tell me you're joking.” She shook her head. “And what exactly do you expect me to do if he acts weird? He's built like a wall!”

“Maybe it won't be you. Maybe he'll act weird toward Morgiana.”

“Because that makes it better,” you retorted. “I better go find him in any case. Find something to fix him, please?”

“Of course.”

It didn't take long for you to find Masrur. He was outside, training with Morgiana. Alibaba and Sharrkan were a little farther away, practicing sword work.

“Masrur!” you called. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

He grabbed Morgiana's leg and twisted her around, effectively stopping her attack. He nodded at you in confirmation, putting his hand on Morgiana's shoulder and saying a few words of praise.

You shuffled awkwardly when Masrur was finally standing in front of you. To make matters worse, he was the same as always. He just stared silently down at you with those pinkish-red eyes.

“I...wanted to ask how you are,” you said finally. “I haven't seen you in a while.”

“Good,” he replied.

“Oh. Well, that's good. And you haven't been feeling strange over the past few days?”

Masrur merely blinked at you.

You sighed. “All right, that settles that. Excuse me.”

As you turned around, Masrur grasped your wrist and swiftly pulled you back towards him. You slammed into his chest, his grip holding you firmly against him.

“Mas, what--?”

A figure suddenly slammed into the ground where you had been about to walk. Alibaba slowly got to his feet, gripping his sword more firmly.

“Sorry about that!” Sharrkan called out to you.

But Alibaba was unpreturbed. “You can't knock me down that easily!” he roared, running back at his instructor.

“You...saved me. Thank you,” you told Masrur. He nodded simply. “Um...Mas, you can let me go now.”

The tall Fanalis hurriedly released you, a soft blush forming on his cheeks.

“Masrur, that was incredible!” Morgiana exclaimed as she raced over to you two. “Let's keep training, I have to get stronger like that.”

“Would you like to watch?” he asked, gesturing back to Morgiana. You hesitated before nodding. Yam had told you to keep an eye on him, after all.

He and Morgiana took positions about twenty paces from each other. You watched as she charged straight at Masrur, sliding between his legs and aiming a kick from behind. Despite not quite expecting the surprise attack, Masrur ducked with ease and countered with a well aimed punch.

Morgiana blocked it with her crossed arms, flying back a few feet. She raced back at him, this time aiming a few quick punches. He easily blocked them in the same manner she had before grabbing her arm and throwing her into the air.

He quickly leapt after her, the pair exchanging punches and kicks in midair. You stared at them in admiration.

“(Y/N)!” Sharrkan's voice sounded, much closer than you'd expected. As you turned to see what he was calling you about, you saw his sword come racing towards you. You quickly turned your body, only getting grazed along your upper arm.

You hissed and clutched your arm as Sharrkan retrieved his weapon. “Did it strike you? Let me see.”

“It barely touched me,” you assured him. “Just be careful with that thing, okay?”

“Yes,” Masrur's voice rumbled as he picked you up in his arms. “Be careful.” Without another word, he set off for the palace.

“Mas, I promise I'm fine.”

“I want to be sure,” he said, carrying you in the direction of the infirmary.

“There, that should do it,” the healer said as he finished bandaging your arm. “Pretty minor for a sword wound. Just get some rest and you should be fine.”

“Thank you very much.” You smiled.

The healer nodded as he left. Mas continued to lean against the far wall with his arms crossed, silently glowering.

You look at him. “Mas, you hungry?”

He nodded silently, dropping his arms and smiling slightly at you. He waited for you to leave first.

The dining room was very empty at this hour. You grabbed a table while he got food.

He handed you a plate piled with some of your favorites. You picked up your bread roll and frowned slightly.

“Did you tear some of this off?”

“Poison check,” he replied without looking at you.

“Right....” You two continued eating in silence. When you got up, he rose as well.

“Mas, I'm going back to my room.”

“I know.”

You pursed your lips, but continued walking, aware of his heavy steps following right behind you.

“Masrur, hi. I'm here to see (Y/N).”

“Of course.” Mas stepped aside to let the magician inside your room.

“Yam, thank goodness you're here. Mas is out of control. He won't let me go anywhere without him. I can't eat or drink anything unless he checks it for poison first. He won't let me near any of the other generals besides you, he's scared they might hurt me. Please tell me you can fix him.”

“That's what I came to tell you.” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “The only antidote for this kind of manic behavior is for him to realize it's wrong. You have to show him yourself.”

You glanced over at the window, thinking for several seconds. “I know what I have to do. But I'll need your help.”

“Mas! (Y/N) ran out into the courtyard with Sharrkan!” Yamraiha exclaimed. The Fanalis took off for the courtyard without a second thought.

And there you were waiting, armed with twin daggers and a firm stance.

Masrur furrowed his brows, unsure of what you were doing.

“Hi, Masrur. Time for a little lesson.”

Without waiting for a response, you charged at him. He stepped back but stood his ground. You smirked.

He blocked your strike with both wrists. But you weren't just aiming at this wrists. He felt a stinging pain on his left arm. You had actually struck him. He looked at you in surprise.

“Fight me,” you commanded as you stepped back. He continued to stare at you, making no move to attack you.

You brought your leg towards his shin, aiming to catch him off guard. He blocked your knee to stop you. But you twisted your body and struck him against the head with your other leg.

He glowered at you, still refusing to fight back.

“If I Fell and turned against this country, you wouldn't stop me, Masrur?” You struck him several times with your daggers. Although it did next to nothing against his chest plate, the resulting sparks made him wary.

He grabbed your arms, holding you firmly to keep you from striking him. You pulled your head back and slammed it against his, headbutting him as hard as you could.

“You can't protect me and yourself.”

That seemed to get his attention. He raced toward you, aiming a punch. You ducked out of the way, sliding effortlessly between his legs as Morgiana had done during their last training session.

When he turned around to face you, you had one dagger already at his throat and the other harmlessly pointing at his stomach.

“Do we understand each other?”

He slowly fell to his knees, staring up at you. “Forgive me.”

You shouldered your blades and smiled at him. “Nice to have you back, Mas.”

Masrur grunted as you finished bandaging his arm. “That should do it,” you said.

“Masrur?” Morgiana asked as she poked her head in. “Are you all right? I thought we were training today.”

The male Fanalis stood up. “You are,” he replied. “With (Y/N).”

You glanced at him in surprise, but he put his hand on the small of your back and smiled. “She can handle it.”

Morgiana nodded and looked at you expectantly.

You smiled at her. “All right, Morg. Let's go outside and see what you've got.”

Masrur hung back, watching your session from the balcony of his room with the ghost of a smile on his lips.


	4. Jafar - Fixation

“Who?” you pressed again.

“Ja'far needed something to help him sleep at night.”

You sighed quietly. “Well.....this can't go well.” You had been friends with Ja'far for a long time. Almost as long as Sinbad, although Ja'far had to warm up to you. You weren't even sure if the white-haired man felt attraction towards other people. The only person he'd ever actually seemed interested in was Sinbad.

“All right, let's get this over with.” With that, you set off for Ja'far's study.

He was sitting behind his desk, writing furiously. Same as you'd always seen him.

“Ja'far?” you called.

“Ah, (Y/N). How are you? Everything in your room the same as you left it?”

“Y-yes, everything's fine. And how are you?”

He leaned back in his chair. “Honestly, I feel like I've been working for hours. I could do with a break.” He smiled. “Would you care to join me?”

You nodded slowly. He walked with you outside to the gardens.

As you walked, you became more and more confused. You weren't sure what to expect from him. Had he even taken the potion? Maybe he'd put it off for a few more nights. Maybe he had taken it but wasn't affected by it.

“Did you enjoy the celebration last night?”

You smiled slightly. “You turned my homecoming into something akin to a holiday. But I expected no less from Sinbad and his generals.”

“Believe it or not, that was a toned down version. Sin wanted to make a giant ice sculpture of you to be the centerpiece of the celebration.”

“Thank goodness he didn't get his way on that,” you murmured.

Ja'far chuckled as he sat on the edge of a large fountain in the middle of the garden.

“He's just proud of the good you've done for his country. We all are.”

“Thank you, Ja'far.” You glanced at the setting sun for several minutes in silence. “Shouldn't you be getting back to work?”

“It can wait,” he responded. “After all, it's been a while since you were here. We have a lot to catch up on.”

And that's how you spent your evening, telling Ja'far all about your adventures in the middle of the garden. He listened with rapt attention, as though there was nothing else in the world he'd rather be doing.

When night fell, Ja'far took over the conversation by pointing out beautiful constellations in the starlit sky, taught to him long ago by Sinbad when he was still just a merchant of the seven seas.

“And that one there is the North star. Hinahoho calls it Rurumu, after his wife, because it will always guide him home again.”

You smiled. “That's beautiful.”

“And it reminds me I promised to watch his kids tomorrow.” He stood up slowly. “We should probably head in.”

You followed him back to your room. “Thank you, Ja'far. This was nice.”

“We should do it again,” he replied with a small smile.

“I look forward to it. Good night.”

You smiled back at him before shutting your door and going to bed.

“(Y/N), thank goodness!” Yam sighed as she saw you come in. “I have bad news.”

“What's wrong?”

“I can't reverse the spell on Ja'far. The only way to get him back to normal is if you negate his behavior.”

“Oh,” you said simply.

“Oh?” she repeated. “Oh! You don't want him back to normal, do you?”

“Come on, Yam, can you really blame me? He really doesn't wear anything on his sleeve, aside from anger. And happiness sometimes, when he's around kids. It's like seeing a whole new side of him.”

Yam frowned. “That can't be right. Incomplete love magic just takes part of their personality that already exists and twists it into affection for someone else.”

“I'm just telling you what I know.” You smiled slightly. “We sat in the garden for hours last night.”

“Come on, lovebird.” Yam pushed you towards the door. “Sinbad wants a full report from you about your latest mission.”

You laughed. “All right, I'm coming.”

“Thank you, (Y/N),” Sinbad said as he stepped out into the hall with you. “Your information will be very helpful in future negotiations. Are you sure you don't want to stay longer?”

The General discussion was something Sinbad had created to discuss problems and gather information among any or a few chosen of his Eight Generals and trusted allies. Spartos and Masrur were not there because of their commitments to training their chosen pupils. However, the others were all present and you thought it might be better to slip out now.

“No offense, your highness, but the giant sea beasts are more of a Sharkkan, Yamraiha, Pisti, and Hinahoho problem. I would have nothing to offer in the discussion.”

He laughed. “Yes, of course. We'll catch up later, then.”

You bowed to him as he shut the door. However, you felt a presence behind you. As you turned to see what it was, a red rope wrapped around you and pulled you toward a room across the hall.

The door closed and Ja'far smiled. “Hi.”

“Ja'far?” You flushed slightly. This closet was tight quarters, you were practically pressed up against him. “What are you--?”

“Shh,” he held a finger to your lips. “Don't blow my cover. We're playing hide and seek. Hinahoho's kids are searching for me.”

“Why did you hide in this closet, though?” you asked.

“I thought I'd surprise you after the meeting.”

“Surprise me?” you repeated. “Why?”

“I realized I wanted to spend more time with you,” he said as if it was obvious.

“What about all of your work?”

“You're more important.” You stared at him in confusion.

 _“...takes part of their personality and twists it into affection,”_ Yam's voice echoed in your head.

“You can't balance,” you murmured.

“Hmm?”

“You can't balance a work life and a love life. That's why you've never been interested in someone.”

“That's ridiculous.”

“Is it? Without you to do the paperwork, how long do you think the country will survive?”

He furrowed his brows. “Sinbad--”

“Entrusted it to you, Ja'far. Because he knows what a hard worker you are. He knew you'd fixate on it and work at it until it got done.”

“What exactly are you saying?”

“That's where your attention needs to be. Following your king and his vision for this country. Not with me. I'm sorry.”

The door flew open. “Found you!” cried three voices. The fourth, Hinahoho's oldest named Kikiriku, pulled his younger siblings away from the door.

“Forgive us, miss,” he said.

“No, it's all right.” You stepped into the hall. “You found us fair and square, so it looks like I'm joining the game. You'd better go hide!” The three youngest squealed with excitement and raced off to find hiding places. Kikiriku nodded at you and followed them.

“(Y/N)?” Ja'far said. “I think I should....”

You glanced at him. “Go. I can play with them for a while.”

“Thank you. And...if I could find some balance, I'd--”

“I understand. Your work comes first. But if you ever need a break, let me know. I'd be more than happy to keep you company.”

He smiled at you, squeezing your hand in his own. “I would like that. Truly.”


	5. Alibaba - Competition

“Alibaba. You met him last night at the party, right?”

You nodded. “The former prince of Balbadd. I liked him much better than his friend.” You remembered a boy with a blue braid trying to jump at your chest. Alibaba had been quick to pull him away and apologize.

Yamraiha sighed. “Right, sorry about Aladdin. Anyway, Alibaba wanted a potion to help him control his Magoi more efficiently. He's been trying to perfect a Djinn equip and it doesn't seem like he's getting anywhere.”

“We've all been there. Any idea where he is now?”

She made a face. “Unfortunately, I might know.”

When you made it to the gazebo, Alibaba and Sharrkan were practicing their swordsmanship. Alibaba seemed to have part of a Djinn equip going, reaching almost up to his elbows. You could see flames shooting from his sword as well.

You hardly notice Alibaba glance your way, but when he saw there was an audience, he doubled his efforts.

“Hey, not bad,” Sharrkan observed as he and Alibaba slammed their swords together. “But you're still not using your full potential.”

You watched Sharrkan use one of his signature moves, a series of quick and precise jabs to push Alibaba back and knock him flat before he even knew what happened.

You took the opportunity to approach. “Hey, Sharrkan.”

“(Y/N), always nice to see you.”

“Alibaba, that was some impressive work. Not many people hold up that long against Sharrkan. That's the royal style, right?”

He nodded, aware of a warm feeling in his chest. “That's right, I learned it back in Balbadd.”

“Listen, (Y/N),” Sharkkan interjected, “Mas and I are going out tonight. You wanna join? You can finally see me beat him.”

“Then who will I talk to while you make an idiot of yourself?”

He smirked. “Well I thought about inviting Alibaba, but I'm not sure he's man enough.”

“Hey, I'm man enough!” Alibaba exclaimed. You both noticed his blushing cheeks. Sharrkan regarded him for several seconds.

“All right....you did good work today, so you can come.” The Heliohapt man grabbed you both around the necks. “Tonight's the night, I can feel it!”

You sighed. “You're not going to beat Mas. Doesn't matter how drunk you get him.”

“It'll be great, you'll see!” Sharrkan exclaimed, hardly listening to you.

Later that night, the four of you were sitting around a table. Sharrkan had decided his first order of business would be to see who could finish a round first. He claimed it was to prove you could keep up with him, but it was mostly a cheap ploy to get Mas drunk enough to fight.

Mas finished first, as expected. You slammed your tankard down with Alibaba.

“Not bad,” you praised him. “So how are you liking Sindria so far?” you asked, smirking as Sharrkan finally finished.

“It's nice. Different from what I expected. But everyone's been welcoming so far. My friends Morgiana and Aladdin are getting special training too.”

“Right, I heard about that. I'm sure you're all enjoying it. I know the teachers are.”

Masrur nodded slightly as he removed Sharrkan's hand from his shoulder. The Heliohapt man had decided to hover in his personal space, trying to (somehow) physically intimidate him.

“Gives us a chance to sharpen our skills. And that's well worth it,” Sharrkan added.

“I think you need to sharpen your drinking skills,” Alibaba said. You laughed. But his instructor was too busy trying to flex his muscles next to Masrur to provoke him.

You put a hand on Alibaba's shoulder. “I know Sharrkan might not take everything seriously, but swordplay is his life. He's constantly improving and you can learn a lot from him.”

“Aww, that's my (Y/N),” he cooed, poking your cheek. “I knew you liked me.”

“Masrur?” you called. The Fanalis wordlessly put his drink aside, setting his elbow on the table with his hand outstretched. Sharrkan immediately followed suit, clasping his hand in his own. The pair glared at each other.

You turned back to the young prince. “Sharrkan doesn't give up until Masrur engages him in something physical. And you shouldn't either. Djinn equips take a lot of patience and commitment. But you'll get there, I promise.”

“Thanks.” He smiled up at you.

“And if it makes you feel better, you're already a lot closer than Sharrkan is. Start!” you exclaimed, slamming your hand down on the table.

Alibaba glanced back at the other two men. Sharrkan was trying to beat Mas in arm wrestling. While he started fighting fair, when his arm got farther than halfway down, he pulled Mas's arm with both of his own hands. It still got him nowhere.

Mas hesitated for a fraction of a second before slamming Sharrkan's arm off the table. The Heliohapt fell on the ground with a thump.

“Better luck next time.”

“Oh, this is far from over. Alibaba, your turn!” Sharrkan grasped Alibaba's arm in his own before he could respond.

“And...start!”

Alibaba grunted at the unfamiliar strain. But he pushed back with as much force as he could, and he bent Sharrkan's arm back against the table.

You smirked. “Wow...it's been a long time since anyone besides Mas beat you. Nice one, Alibaba.”

“Let's keep going! Bet I can beat you at push-ups!” he said, nudging Sharrkan.

“Oh, you're on!”

Masrur was already on the floor.

You glanced down at your bag to see something reflecting rainbows back at you. You grabbed the Eye of the Rukh and walked outside.

“Hey, Yam, what's going on?”

“(Y/N), are you with Alibaba?” she asked, staring back at you through the orb.

“Yeah, did you find an antidote?”

“No, that's what I'm calling about. You have to make him stop whatever he's doing on your own.”

You frowned. “Yam, I hate to break it to you, but he's not really doing anything out of the ordinary. Sharrkan, Mas, and I took him drinking. He's trying to do more push ups than them, it's kind of funny--”

“(Y/N), that's the behavior! Do you think he'd ever try to beat a Fanalis or his own instructor at something unless he was trying to impress you?”

“Well, he'll run out of fuel eventually, won't he?”

“Then he'll just wake up and keep trying to compete with someone else. You have to stop him. And soon, before he hurts himself.”

You heard loud cheers from inside. “All right, I'll take care of it. I'll call you back.”

When you walked back in, the bartender had brought over several tankards, enough to fill the table.

“Alibaba, wait!” you exclaimed, stepping between him and the table. “You can't do this.”

“But I want to win.”

“Mas and Sharrkan will stand down. Won't they?”

“No way! What are you talking about?” Sharrkan objected.

“Stand down!” you snapped back at him. Mas put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him away.

You approached the blond prince. “Alibaba, hey, you don't have to do this. You have nothing to prove.”

“I have everything to prove. Everyone underestimates me. I know I'm weak compared to my friends, but I'm working to get stronger and I need to prove it at every opportunity!”

“Someone with real strength knows when to use it. If you get a Djinn equip, are you going to use it every chance you get?”

“Just...when it gets bad,” he replied with a frown.

“Exactly. You don't have anything to prove to these two. Or me. Or anyone else, understand?”

He nodded slowly. “I have nothing to prove. To anyone.” He glanced at all three of you. “I'm sorry for my behavior.”

Masrur placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. “You are forgiven.”

“Yeah, happens to every kid now and then,” Sharrkan added with a sigh. “But if you wanted to prove yourself, the brothel is still open.” He was immediately hit in the head with a tankard.

You smirked. “Sorry. My hand slipped.”

An hour later, Masrur was carrying Sharrkan back to the palace on his shoulder. You and Alibaba walked behind him.

“So...do you think I could train with you tomorrow?” Alibaba asked.

“Sharrkan will be fine.”

He frowned. “He drank three tankards upside down.”

“It takes more than that to stop him. I told you, swordplay is his life.”

And indeed, the next day, Sharrkan was there for training. And Alibaba realized exactly how much he still had to learn.


	6. Hakuryuu - Communication

“The prince from Kou, Hakuryuu.”

“Oh, right. Are we sure having him here right now is a good idea?”

“You know Sinbad. Once he sets his mind to something, you can't change it.”

You smiled. “Very true. I'll go find him.”

“And I'll find an antidote as quickly as I can.”

“Great. But how bad could it be?”

“Miss (Y/N)!” The blue haired prince was standing outside the palace. Almost like he knew you were coming.

“Hakuryuu, good morning.”

“I was hoping I could talk to you,” he said, falling in step with you.

“Of course, what's on your mind?”

“Well, you said last night that you've met my sister, Hakuei.”

“That's right.”

On your most recent mission, you had crossed paths with Hakuei while she was on the way to the Northern Tenzan Plateau to convince the Kouga clan to join her empire.

While you were both initially wary of one another, you had grown to be somewhat friends before you left. You hoped the relationship might hold up if the Kou empire ever went to war with Sindria.

You had mentioned it to Hakuryuu when you met, and he seemed immediately taken with you because of it.

“How is she doing then? My sister?”

“Hakuei seemed to be doing very well. She and her company were optimistic about their chances of getting the Kouga clan to join them.”

“Good. She's very bright and kind, I can only imagine she was successful.” He smiled up at you. “Forgive me for bothering you with this, but we lost our two brothers and father in a horrible accident when I was young. She is all I have left.”

“I'm very sorry to hear that.”

“It's quite all right. She took care of me and I couldn't have asked for a better sister.”

“She talked about you as well,” you told him. “She said she misses you, but she knows that you are strong and capable and will capture your very own dungeon soon.”

Hakuryuu chuckled. “Yes, it's a bit of a tradition. We have five dungeon capturers within the royal family. Kougyoku is one.”

“You mean the girl making a flower crown over there?” You both glanced back towards the palace, where Alibaba and Kougyoku were making flower crowns together.

“Hakuryuu!” she called, waving wildly. “Look what I made!”

“It's really nice!” Hakuryuu called back.

“Alibaba taught me to make them!” You and Alibaba waved at each other before you continued on your walk.

“Does she usually make friends like that?” you asked after a moment.

Hakuryuu shook his head. “It's hard making friends when you're a member of the royal family. You don't know who is really your friend. I don't have much luck in that department either. Even among my family, I seem to be the black sheep.”

“But Hakuei--”

“Not her. The rest of my family. Kouen, Kouha, Koumei, even Kougyoku. They all look down on me because I don't have the same vision as them. They want to expand the Kou empire and bring the world under one ruler.”

“Really?”

“Kouen is willing to stop at nothing to get what he wants. And he has the power for it. Kouha and Koumei too, and they'll help him without a second thought. Just like how my mother brutally killed the rest of my family.”

You stared at him for several seconds. “I'm sorry, you said--?”

“My mother was the one who killed my father and brothers. And I have to kill her in retaliation.”

“I see. Hakuryuu, have you met Yamraiha yet?”

“I don't believe so.”

“Great, let's go see her for a minute.” You grabbed his hand and dragged him back towards the palace.

“I'm telling you we were having a normal conversation, and he just started blurting out all of his family's secrets.”

Yam glanced over at Hakuryuu. He was sitting quietly at her desk, looking at all of her magical tools.

“It could have been a fluke,” she suggested.

“Hakuryuu?” you called. “Which of your brothers would you consider most dangerous?”

“Kouen,” he replied immediately. “He has three Djinns already along with three monsters at his command, and he will not let anything get in his way when he wants something. And right now he wants power from expanding our empire.”

You and Yam glanced at one another.

“And...just out of curiosity, which of your brothers would be interested in dating a magician?” Yam asked.

“Kouha is too young, Kouen is too distracted with the prospect of war. So maybe Koumei, if he could be taken away from his work.”

Yam smiled. “Really? Tell me about this Koumei.”

“Yam, be serious!” you exclaimed.

“I was just wondering...” She pouted slightly.

“Look, we can't leave him like this. He might start blurting secrets to everyone in the palace.”

She sighed and handed you her spellbook. “I told you, you have to turn him back yourself.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“You have to negate his behavior. In this case, his loose tongue.”

You stared over at Hakuryuu. How on earth were you going to manage this? Finally, you sighed.

“All right, look. You can't stay here. So I guess you're coming with me for a while.”

You shut the door quickly behind yourself. Hakuryuu was already looking around your room with fascination.

“I've never been in a girl's room before,” he said. “Are you sure it's okay?”

You sat down on your bed. “Under the circumstances, absolutely.”

Hakuryuu glanced back at you, staring at you with those mismatched eyes of his. “You seem distressed,” he said finally.

“I don't know how to help you.”

He sat down next to you. “I don't need help.”

“Everyone needs help sometimes.”

“Not me. I've always been on my own. I grew up that way....I've been on my own while my sister has been off on her missions....I've decided to take care of my mother on my own. I don't need anyone.”

“That's ridiculous, Hakuryuu. Everyone needs someone.”

“I suppose I need an empress for when I become emperor.”

“That's not what I mean.” You put a hand on his leg. He immediately looked up at you. “You need people in your life that you trust and can talk to about important things. Allies, yes, but more importantly, friends. Like Kougyoku and Alibaba.”

“How do I find those people?”

“You see who wants to help you out when you're in a tight spot. And you do the same for them. Those are the friends you can truly count on.”

“You want to help me, right Miss (Y/N)?”

“That's right. But I can't if you won't let me.”

He nodded slowly. “I'm ready to accept your help.” You sighed.

“Please Hakuryuu, I need you to understand that Yamraiha gave you a love potion by mistake. You have to stop spilling all your family secrets. It isn't right.”

Hakuryuu inhaled sharply, suddenly acutely aware of everything he'd told you within the past few hours. He slammed his fist into his opposite hand, bowing his hand down low.

“Please forgive me!” he exclaimed. “I never intended to--”

“Hey,” you said, grasping his hands. “It was an accident on both sides, okay? I have no intentions of spilling your secrets.”

“I greatly appreciate that. And I would like to ask to continue being friends, if that's all right.”

You smiled. “Of course, Hakuryuu. I'd be honored.”

“Are you going to teach me how to make flower crowns, too?”

You smiled. “Sadly, that is only an Alibaba friendship bonus.”

“Oh.”

“But I bet Kougyoku has made one for you by now.” You nudged him. “Go find her.”

He bowed to you before leaving. “See you later, (Y/N).”

And when you saw him later with his white flower crown, he looked positively adorable.


	7. Sharrkan - Passion

“Yam, come on. Who did you give it to?”

She sighed quietly. “Sharrkan. He needed something to help his muscles heal after a hard day of training.”

“I'm surprised you gave him anything at all though, since he's always putting you down for your magic.”

“Sinbad ordered it,” she explained with a roll of her eyes. “Can't have one of his warriors not performing at his best. No offense.”

She knew you'd always had a soft spot for the Heliohapt man. You'd often trained together, and despite his constant comments about her magic being lackluster, she always tried to keep her comments about him to a minimum around you.

“It's fine, Yam. So do you know where he is?”

Sharrkan was indeed out in the gazebo, practicing with Alibaba. But Alibaba was getting up off the floor, and Sharrkan had already shouldered his blade.

“That's enough for today,” he told the former prince.

He walked over to you and smiled easily. “Hey, (Y/N).”

“Hey, Sharrkan. Are you done for the day already?”

“Yeah, got an early start,” he replied as he stretched his arms. “Impressed?”

“I'm surprised you got out here at all to be honest. I seem to remember four women fawning all over you last night.”

He shrugged slightly. “Well, you're supposed to have a little fun at those celebrations. Welcome back, by the way.”

“Thank you.” You both stared at each other for a moment.

“You want to spar with me later? For old time's sake?” he asked.

You hesitated. “Sure. But no blade to body contact.” He waved a hand dismissively.

“Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Later tonight, okay? Same place.”

Sharrkan was already waiting when you arrived. He smiled at you.

“All right. Ready to keep up our record?”

“If I remember right,” you said as you pulled out your twin daggers, “I'm due for a win.”

“That may be true, but I've gotten better since you left. And you're all soft from diplomatic missions. You don't have the fire anymore.”

You smirked. “I guess we'll see.”

It started out simple. You glared at each other, brandishing your weapons and holding them in defensive positions. He charged first, as you knew he would.

Sharrkan was always offensive when he could help it. You easily dodged his attack, deflecting his sword with one of your daggers. You countered with a thrust towards his stomach.

He slammed his sword in front of your dagger to block, slowly forcing it back up to eye level. When he thought you were off guard, he pulled his sword away and twisted around, aiming for your side. Since you fell forward slightly at the sudden lack of force, it was a good move.

But you merely kept falling, somersaulting forward and aiming an upward jab at him. He barely leapt out of the way in time.

When he regained himself, he saw that you were already charging at him. He quickly blocked, locking his sword against both of your daggers. You glared at each other over your weapons, neither willing to give ground.

But Sharrkan felt your leg slip between his. He wasn't that blindsided. In a single move, he stepped back with his right foot and knocked your leg away with his left one.

You felt a change of power, which you instinctively leaned farther into, and then your leg flew out from under you. You flew forward and twisted from the force of your leg moving.

Sharrkan stepped back again and easily caught you in his arms, still holding his sword centimeters away from your neck.

“I win,” he said in your ear.

Your eyes widened slightly at his proximity and you quickly detangled yourself from his grip.

“All right. That was fun. But I really have to...go.”

“Aw, don't be like that,” he said as he put away his sword and stepped closer. “I'm just a great swordsman, that's all.”

You shook your head. “No, that's not it.” You stepped away.

“Come on, you can tell me.”

“Sharrkan, please--” You felt your back hit a pillar. He placed his hand next to your head, leaning closer towards you.

“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look in the moonlight?” His emerald green eyes stared at you with something you'd only seen in his swordplay or when he was flirting with other women. Passion.

You had dropped one of your daggers in the scuffle earlier, but you still had one left. You quickly brought it up to his neck.

“Back off.”

He raised his hands. “Whoa, there's no need--”

“I said, back off Sharrkan. This isn't you and I don't know what you're up to, but I'm not falling for it. I'm not one of your conquests, okay?”

And with that, you raced back towards the palace.

Yam was awoken by a furious knocking and she groggily answered the door.

“(Y/N)?” she said. “What are you--?”

“I need the antidote and I need it now, Yam. Do you understand? Can't believe that arrogant little....with his stupid confidence and his clothes that are too loose and his pretty eyes and that smug grin of his--”

“Calm down for a second,” Yam said. “I'm not following you. What's going on?”

“Sharrkan wanted to spar, and I told him I would, but then he was flirting with me, and I don't know, I freaked out because he was obviously doing it because of that potion. I need the antidote, please.”

“(Y/N), you know I'd give it to you if I could. But the only way to fix him is for you to negate his behavior yourself.”

“I have to make him stop flirting? How on earth am I supposed to do that?”

She thought for a moment. “I might have an idea, but you're probably not going to like it.”

When Sharrkan woke the next morning, he was aware that he had his arm wrapped around someone.

He didn't remember bringing anyone to bed with him. But as he opened his eyes and looked over at the woman, he saw blue hair. Very familiar blue hair.

“Oh, no....” he murmured. “Oh, no, no, no, no.”

But any other thoughts were thrown out the window as someone knocked on his door.

“Sharrkan, are you up?” you called. Yam's plan was to have Sharrkan shocked into realizing his flirting was out of control, and then have you show up to confront him. Her getting to hear it was just a bonus.

“Just a second!” he called back, throwing the cover over Yamraiha.

He opened the door just enough so you wouldn't see his bed. “Hey, what's going on?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to apologize for last night. I just kind of ran off.”

“Oh, it's fine. I came on pretty strong,” he replied, waving his hand dismissively.

“And I left my dagger on the gazebo. Did you grab that by any chance?”

“No, it must still be out there.”

“Isn't...that it right there?” you asked, pointing to where you could see your dagger on his desk, next to his sword. He followed your gaze.

“Oh, look at that. I must have grabbed it after all. Here, I'll get it for you.”

“Sharrkan?” Yam called. “What are you doing up?” He froze.

“Is that Yam? What's she doing here?” you asked.

Sharrkan immediately grabbed your shoulders and shoved you out into the hallway. “I know this looks bad, and it seems like I slept with her last night but I swear I don't remember anything. You know I'd never do something like that. We can't be in the same room with each other, I didn't even take that stupid potion she gave me--”

“Wait. You didn't?”

“Well, no. I thought she might poison me. I only asked for it because Sinbad made me.”

“So last night....you meant all that? The flirting and everything?”

“Why wouldn't I?”

“You've never said anything before now.”

“Of course not. You're always off on missions, it never seemed like a good time. But if you don't like me--”

“I do! I mean it.”

He crossed his arms. “Then why did you run off last night?”

“I'll explain later. But right now, you might want to run.”

He turned around just in time to see Yamraiha, staff aimed at him. “You're calling my potions stupid? And you didn't even take it? You're dead, Sharrkan!”

Sharrkan stared at her in horror, as his sword was still in his room and he had no way to protect himself. He took off down the hall without a second glance. Yamraiha followed right on his heels.

A few hours later, the Heliohapt was relieved to hear that although she had nearly killed him, he had not slept with Yamraiha after all, you liked him too, and that most of what had happened was a large misunderstanding.

In order to both celebrate and apologize, you two decided to go out for dinner on a proper date. Where Yamraiha sat a considerable distance away to make sure he was behaving himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I originally posted this, I did receive a comment about how this one was the only with an actual "romantic" ending. I'm sure the commenter didn't mean it in a negative way, but the only reason that Sharrkan's was written in this way was because he didn't actually take the potion so his feelings are genuine. The rest are written ambiguously on purpose.
> 
> Hope that clears up any confusion!


	8. Spartos - Devotion

“Yam?” you pressed.

“Spartos.”

Your eyes widened. “You didn't.”

“It could be worse! It could have been Sharrkan or Sinbad.”

“But his religion is strict about love and relationships, so who knows how that might affect him?!”

“I'm working on finding an antidote as quickly as I can. I just need you to watch out for him in the meantime.”

“I'll see what I can do.”

It wasn't hard to find the redheaded warrior. He was waiting outside on the steps when you ran into him.

“Welcome home,” Spartos said. Before you could respond, he had handed you a bouquet of white flowers.

“Oh! Thank you, Spartos.” You smiled. “They're beautiful, where did you find them?”

He averted his gaze. “I bought them for you in the marketplace.” Now that he'd mentioned it, you did remember admiring this specific bouquet just a few days before.

“You didn't have to go to all that trouble.”

“It was no trouble,” he assured you as you continued walking. “How was your trip?”

“Well, we have a new trading partner so I would say it was a success. But I'm always glad to be home again.” You glanced at him. “And I hear you have a pupil now.”

“Yes, Hakuryuu is doing very well so far. He has had a lot of training already so I have very little to teach him.”

“I'm sure that's not true. He could probably learn a thing or two from someone like you.”

You continued exchanging small talk to the end of the path. Until you decided to leave him. “I think Ja'far wanted an update on our new partner. Thank you again for the flowers.”

He hesitated for the briefest second before nodding and turning away with a wave. You stared at the flowers for a few moments.

He had never brought you something. It was definitely a new side of him. But aside from that, he had acted like his normal self. What exactly were you supposed to do?

It wasn't like you could follow him around all day.

And yet, that's exactly what seemed to be happening to you. For two days, Spartos continued to pop up all over the palace where you happened to be. Smiling and complimenting you.

Gifting you with small trinkets and charms. More flowers. Or highlighted paragraphs from his favorite pieces of scripture.

He cleaned your weapons. Cooked you food. You were suspicious as to how he kept doing all these things himself until you saw Pisti leaving your room, having folded your laundry for you.

She thought it was a game.

When you caught Hakuryuu trying to drop another note from a tree, he claimed it was a stealth training exercise.

And that was when you'd had enough.

“I told you that I can't fix him,” Yam told you. “It seems that the object of the manic behavior, meaning you, has to negate it.”

“I don't even know how I can start to explain this, let alone negate it. But he's obviously up to something. I haven't seen any of them around today.”

“I'd be slightly more concerned with how he tricked Pisti and Hakuryuu into it in the first place.”

You shrugged slightly. “Spartos doesn't have a bad bone in his body. They probably think that it is a fun game and a training exercise.”

Yamraiha opened her mouth to speak when Hakuryuu knocked.

“Spartos sent this for you,” he explained, handing you a note.

“Throwing stealth out the door this time, aren't we?” you commented dryly.

“He said I had to hand this to you directly.”

“Is it another poem?” Yam asked when he'd left.

“An invitation to the roof,” you explained, handing it to her. “I guess it's now or never.”

But nothing could have prepared you for what was waiting up there.

Spartos, his armor and overclothes shed. He simply wore his black undershirt, black pants, and black shoes. His turban was ever present, providing a stark contrast to the rest of his outfit.

The late evening sun bathed him in an golden-orange light, making his eyes radiate as they looked at you.

“You came,” he said simply.

“It seemed important.”

He shuffled slightly. “I must apologize for not being around today. But I wanted to prepare myself.”

“For what exactly?” you asked.

He gently gripped your hand, falling onto bended knee. “(Y/N), I wish to profess my love and endless devotion to you. And ask for your response.”

You shook your head. “Please don't do this. This isn't you.”

He frowned slightly. “It's true that I have never been in love before, but--”

“Spartos, I need you to listen to me carefully,” you interrupted as you got down on his level. “You are not in love with me. No one can fall in love with someone in three days.”

“But I want to be devoted to you.”

“No, you don't. That potion that Yamraiha gave you a few days ago was a love potion. This devotion or whatever you think it is, isn't real. These feelings...aren't real.”

“All those gifts were,” he pointed out.

“Is that what you think devotion is?”

“I don't understand.”

“Do you think devotion is bombarding a person at every moment of every day with presents and happy thoughts and doing chores for them? Is that what devotion is to you?”

“I thought...you would be happy.”

“Love and devotion are not enough to make someone else happy, no matter how badly you want it. And it's not about how many presents or kind words you can offer them. It's about choosing to face the world and its problems together instead of separately. Being there for the other person as much as you can, sometimes giving yourself completely over to them when they really need it. You can't fake those kinds of feelings in a few days.”

Spartos nodded solemnly. “I never meant to upset you with this. I had no control over what I was doing.”

“I know.” You helped him stand up. “But for what it's worth, once you find that other person, they'll be lucky to have you in their life. I guarantee it.”

He smiled slightly. “It might sound strange, but I feel relieved you were the first one I fell in love with. So, thank you. For being so patient with me.”

You quickly averted your gaze, cheeks burning. “Just promise you won't give up on love and I'll consider us even.”

“So do you...think I could have those poems back?”

“Absolutely.” You glanced at him. “But I have a feeling Pisti looked at them already.”

He grimaced. “I may never live this down.”

“Don't worry. Everyone has an embarrassing story or two like this. Next time you and Sharrkan go drinking, make sure to ask him about a few of his. That might make you feel better.”

“I'll be sure to do that. Would you like to come with us?”

You smiled. “Sure. But no more proposals.”

“Deal.”


End file.
